Power and Leadership

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that power and leadership are not exactly the same thing, of course, but they are inextricably interrelated for without power, effective leadership would not be possible and without leadership, power would be rendered useless. To help shed some light on these concepts from a modern perspective, this paper provides a review and analysis of three ancient texts, "Genesis", "Epic of Gilgamesh" and "Lysistrata" to better understand how they addressed the respective themes of leadership and power. A discussion concerning how leaders come to power, their responsibilities, real and symbolic, and what responsibilities citizens of a given society have in choosing leaders or in holding leaders accountable for their actions is followed by an analysis of the types of recourses available for citizens to use against tyranny and how these trends continue to impact the modern understanding of leadership. A summary of the research and salient findings are presented in the conclusion.

Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
How Leaders Come to Power
Real and Symbolic Responsibilities of Leaders
Responsibilities of the Citizenry in Choosing Leaders and Holding Them Accountable for Their Actions
Types of Recourses Available to Citizens to Use against Tyranny
Impact of These Trends on the Modern Understanding of Leadership
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"States do today in Iraq by simply declaring victory and bringing the troops home. In this regard, the Greek men may have had the power to wage war, but Lysistrata and her like-minded female counterparts were able to clearly demonstrate who possessed the real power in Athenian society by exercising in a fashion that was for the good of all.
"Such positive outcomes are not always associated with leaders, of course, but it would be reasonable to posit that one of the real responsibilities of leaders is to ensure the welfare and safety of those they lead, and this assessment is borne out time and again in Genesis (as heavily influenced by the Epic of Gilgamesh). More symbolic responsibilities of these early leaders including providing a heroic role model and inspiring their followers to endure the hardships that always seem to go hand in hand with achieving great deeds."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Abusch, T. (2001). "The development and meaning of the epic of Gilgamesh: An interpretive essay." The Journal of the American Oriental Society, 121(4): 614.
• Black's Law Dictionary. St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co., 1990.
• Brodie, Thomas L. Genesis as Dialogue: A Literary, Historical, & Theological Commentary. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
• DeLashmutt, Gary. (2007). "Genesis 1:1-2:4 -- The Beginning of Our World." Xenos Christian Fellowship. [Online]. Available: http://www.xenos.org/teachings/ot/genesis/.
• Halliwell, Stephen. Aristophanes: Birds; Lysistrata; Assembly-Women; Wealth. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997.

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